16 November 2015
I found them
The old surviving trams of Hiroshima
Not a lot of photos tonight because I took enough earlier and got back late.
Instead, a lot of text.
I went downstairs this evening to go out, and the entire lobby was filled with retired Germans. All had on HUGE puffer jackets, like they were about to climb the matterhorn.
The general look of absolute confusion on their faces, and the staff, was enough to make me pull up a chair.
Picture 40 people, each with a German version of a Lonely planet guide book, competing to speak Japanese phrases. Some were playing translations from iphones to the staff, and all were yelling. Yelling in a way that one might speak to a retarded child to make sure they hear you and are serious.
I watched as they checked in, now I dont speak a lot of German except swear words, but if you show your passport, they give you a key, it has a number on it, check in complete. Thats how it goes for me, sometimes I dont open my mouth at all.
These people had folders and folders of documents, like a bad world war 2 movie, your papers please! They insisted on showing these to the staff. Then they all wanted to change money, at the hotel? And each and every one of them was then doing a calculation to check the exchange rate, in great detail.
Then for the first time in my life, I saw people insist on handing over various things for the hotel to keep in the safe, which I last saw on an episode of Fawlty Towers. There are room safes, but this is Japan, they arent needed. One person handed over some jewelry and before long everyone had something to hand over for storage. Exactly why someone had brought a silver platter with them on holiday I am not sure, but its in the safe downstairs right now, preumably along with a heap of nazi gold.
With all this commotion and drama, I was able to slip out the front door undetected with my room key.
Its a giant Sogo. I was reminded of the one in Taipei which is hugely popular. This one is bigger, but older, no roof garden either.
Underneath it theres a whole area of underground shops I didnt realise were there also.
Horse meat restaurant. Could have had whale and horse today.
Heres the oldest tram I have seen yet. I intend to find out if its one that survived the atomic bomb.....
No, its actually an older tram, but was not in Hiroshima at the time, trams 651, 652 and 653 are the 3 that are still in use that got bombed.
Amazingly, the Hiroshima tram service restarted just 3 days after the bombing! Not sure how that could have been possible.
My dinner was rather predictably, curry. I feel like it after a long day of exercise. Tonights version wasnt that great, I had high hopes as it was an independent store with old women serving. The side salad was a welcome addition, except it was one piece of lettuce on top of spaghetti.
On my way back to the hotel, I realised I could have had a far more interesting curry.
But more importantly, I found them! Since getting here 2 weeks ago I have been looking for chocolate covered potato chips in every convenience store, and none have had any.
Tonight I went into a family mart, and there they were, but they only had one left, which I just ate. 120 yen, so about $1.50. Royce (which is Japanese) charge about $15 for them in Adelaide.